Gram Sabha

“Furfundi” means a flying insect, it is believed that previously people of these villages use to fly like bird/kite and they never use to walk to go to other places, hence the name of the village is given as a “furfundi” 200 hundred years back furfundi village, an informal settlement outside the bar-Nawa Para Forest boundaries of kasdol block was established. The settlement started as a small village inhabited mostly by less than 10/12 tribal houses. Over the years expanded to accommodate a population of 451 as on today. Despite its rapid growth, furfundi retained its informal status with little development of infrastructure and services. If one looks back at the history, initially those who have come was staying in dense forest, full of natural resources, totally dependent on it, away from the main habitation etc. These dwellers stared to live in the houses which were constructed from bamboo tress, as time passed so as the things changed, people started to build mud houses and now at present many villagers are staying in the houses made of bricks. The total population is app451 as per 2011 census. The population is dominated by Bariha tribe followed by painkara, few houses of pardhi and one or two houses of other cast. Mainly cash crop is grown in this area. Paddy take the foremost place in terms of production, followed by NTFP and vegetables from kitchen Garden. The daily wages come from NREGA and forest department. The village have one anganwadi and lower primary schools up to the 5th class. In case of high school children has to travel borsi village which is 8/10km and 20 km to kasdol block to have college education. Gram panchayat of this village is located 8km away from this village, that means furfundi gram panchayat is located district at a distance of 20 km from the block headquarters and 40 km from the district headquarters.

Not far behind just six year before village furfundi was like any other village in rural India, lack of proper planning, lack of community involvement in any village development activities, weak gram sabha, lack of women’s role in Gram sabha, many times gram sabhas were conducted without knowledge and proper quorum, and people’s ignorance about their constitutional rights and role of gram sabha, illiteracy etc. were some of the significant hurdles in the development of village. This was also reflected in weak gram sabha and village development activities which created apprehension about the development and resistance to planned activities. Previously there were no approach roads in the village. Most sufferer were children and women. As on today women recollects that in previous days people use to carry pregnant women or an ill person on a cot to take her/him nearby PHC center. In rainy season road used
to be worst costing health and environment of the village. Women struggling to get clean water due to unhealthy surroundings, delayed in getting NREGA payments and the most important beneficiaries were deprived from social protection schemes and there were many more.

Since inception of the project organisation has given much effort to strengthen village institutions and Gram Sabha. To ensure the smoot road towards development and gram sabha “Village development committee” at Panchayat level and SHG groups, were formed, trained through various capacity building trainings, inputs were given and now which monitored the progress at regular interval. The program used a structure that combined a bottom-up set of community activities with top-down training, monitoring and support. Village Development committees with representatives from community, women and local authorities, was established. Key elements like capacity building trainings, necessary for community empowerment and engagement, equal opportunities for community members to participate in programme decision-making; and accountability measures for activity performance development activities. Participatory Planning best Practices has adopted a bottom-up approach for micro planning activity. It was very first time planning was done by villagers in the village itself under the guidance and facilitation by KALPs field staff. Then these were compiled at the GP level and finally passed by the Gram sabha. Creating social consciousness organisation has involved various stakeholders in its endeavor to increase the participation in the Gram sabha. At the initial stage of the project all the elected members were new. They were not aware of the rules and regulations of the Panchayat including its functioning. Hence, organisation had to take number of capacity building trainings and orientations for them on the roles and responsibilities of PRIs, meaning of active participation in panchayat work. The new learnings were taken well by the Panchayat members, as they wanted to make new and unique contributions to the Panchayat. During their monthly household visits and meetings caders and community facilitators demonstrated and encouraged the adoption of combine and joint efforts and its effects to strengthen village level institutions and effective implementation of gram sabha for village development. In order to change the mindsets of the community members IEC activity were taken up. Traditional folk media and door to door campaign, wall paintings, stake holders’ meetings, rallies and other programs for generating awareness were carried out. Women Gram sabhas were encouraged.

These efforts brough fruits in 2018, when phurphundi village conducted its first mahila gram sabha where large number of women were presented to raise the issues concerning them, they were, light, good road, water facilities, pachri, employment etc. as per guidance and support these issues were prirotised and were put up in the main gram sabha by them, where these issues were not only discussed but also were sanctioned by the members of Gram sabha. After this there was no looking back. These sabhas are conducted in different locations on rotation to ensure that people from all parts of the Panchayat get an opportunity to participate. This has resulted in improving attendance at these
meetings as well as increasing awareness levels among the public about the activities of the Panchayat. Sensatisation and awareness Campaigns for conducting mahila gram sabha and Gram Sabhas are being used effectively by the VDC and SHG members as platform to raise awareness about local issues as well as to share their vision with the people. Regular women Gram sabha and monthly village development committee meetings provided a forum for women and village development committee members to discuss all the issues of the residents of the village. A tentative list of beneficiaries for schemes such as various pensions, P.M. Awaas Yojana, ration card, job card, construction of road, pachari nirman for women in the village pond, employment through NREGA work etc. are prepared at these meetings The priorities are decided through meetings and mahila gram sabha meetings ensuring that communities also had a say in the decision. Organisation have facilited to form, four SHG groups in the village. All of them are very active. Since they are closely associated with the VDC of their village, they are one of the main contributors for strengthening the Gram sabha and further village development activities.

The Impact
As a result of these efforts from the villagers, the number of social protection beneficiaries in phurphundi has gone up. Total of 55. Eliciting from a large number of beneficiaries revealed that these pensions fulfill assured source of income for those who do not have any other form of support. While some consider the pension amount of Rs 300/- per month is very insufficient, but they acknowledge the important role it has played in giving them the sense of security and stability. Now the process has become easier.

• Without proper quorum Gram sabha is not conducted.
• Villagers keep asking the dates of Gram sabha.
• Two years continuous long struggle with government departments have helped beneficiaries of four villages to get their delayed payment of Rs. 8,20,220/- of NREGA work. This achievement boosted the confidence of the villagers but also came to how to deal with government officials. to deal with other issues
• Every household is having job card to avail benefit of NREGA work.
• Previously forest department use to call only ten people to do the forest work, but now each household is having work in rotation by forest department.
• Construction of three roads in the village costing 3 lakhs each.
• Problem of light was solved by setting up solar panels worth Rs. 30,000/-. So now children and women are feeling much safe and secure.
• Community being responsible to keep clean surroundings of the water tap.
• 34 farmers got support by agriculture department in kind of weeder, sprayer worth Rs. 68,000/.
• Two farmers were supported for farm ponds costing 49,000/- Rs.
• Primary school children now do not sit under the leaking roof as now they got new roof of Rs. 06 lakhs.
• 20 families are supported through community farming by giving them 14,000/- Rs.

Employment under NREGA has goan from 10-15 days to 50-70 days. These are the few glimpses of development activities. It is noticeable that all the above mention activities were identified by the villagers during micro planning, further they were prirotised in the monthly village development committees, issues concerning women were put up in mahila gram sabha and finally in main gram sabha. Another significant feature is that all these issues are followed from panchayat to district government offices, and even up to the level of M.P. by village development committee members for the final results Sighting one example the Sapanch Mr Yogeshwar Kashyap proudly shares that construction of the road has changed life of villagers. He gave e.g. of. After constructing road, they got relieved from mud, dirt, saving time, energy etc. villagers are happier for the children who go to school daily by this road.

Emergence of leadership is another one of significant achievements. In this process women are also getting to come forward and to do the leadership to handle issues not only at village level, but also at state level. one has to notice this is just the beginning ………..
Six years of on-going encouragement, motivation and monitoring helped cement these practices into household habits. As on today farmers, women, bhajan mandals, SHGs members, possess a strong sense of social responsibility and are actively involved in the functioning of village development committee meetings, Panchayat work, anganwadi, etc. These acts of responsibilities are duly recognised in the village which creates a sense of pride and belongingness in them. According to the members of the village development committees as well as the records maintained, these meetings are held on a monthly basis and act as platforms to raise issues, discuss and reach consensus which act as the basis for the gram panchayat decisions.

Contributing factors that have facilitated all the above practices and successes:
KALP is actively involved in each step of the community development. Organization have appointed cadre from village itself who is there to support them anytime. Secondly, teamwork of village development committee. They approach various Government officials, political leaders s as a team. This has helped them generate funds for various development purposes. The people belonging to this GP became knowledgeable about the role and functions of the GP. They are also aware about all the works undertaken by the GP. These members consult the sachiv sarpanch or the GP members regularly.
awareness Campaigns for conducting mahila gram sabha and Gram Sabhas are being used effectively by the VDC and SHG members as platform to raise awareness about local issues as well as to share their vision with the people. Regular women Gram sabha and monthly village development committee meetings provided a forum for women and village development committee members to discuss all the issues of the residents of the village. A tentative list of beneficiaries for schemes such as various pensions, P.M. Awaas Yojana, ration card, job card, construction of road, pachari nirman for women in the village pond etc. are prepared at these meetings. The primary focus of these meetings in the recent past has been the issue of shifting PDS shop in their village as they have to travel 8/10 km to get their monthly ration which they find difficult due to forest area, lack of proper roads, especially in rainy season. Hence shifting of PDS shop in their village this resolution is passed at these meetings are placed before the Gram Sabha in Villagers have also raised these issues to MP.

Lessons Learnt
What are its special features that make this village distinct from others? As this case study has shown, this Village development committee and SHGs has excelled in several fields through emergence of strong gram sabha and has shown how to overcome the constraints in a given situation. Given the constraints it had in respect of its own organizational capacity and that of the PRIs at lower levels, it explored a new model of functioning. The GP’s good practices have been well recognised. The GP has been able to create an impact upon the lives of the village people. Compared to earlier times, community people live have definitely become less hazardous has also created an indirect impact on their lives. This case also could be one of the examples of participatory management. It is also an example of power of strong and effective gram sabha. Panchs are also responsible for convincing the community, about the technical issues, and steps that will be taken.